This place is THE BEST. I've been eating here for years and finally thought I should make a review. The owners are awesome and really nice. The staff is friendly and attentive. And the food is so delicious. read more

Best shawarmas in all of Houston, TX!! Only place I'll go for a chicken shawarma!! Oh, and their other dishes/food are delicious!!! Thanks Shawarma King!! read more

Shawarma King - Chicken Shawarma Lunch Sandwich - Middle Eastern Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

Ordered thru UBEREATS.. sooo good! Order the cheese steak and a gyro-deliciousthe pics serve no justice for how good this food was.. will order again soon ! read more

See all

I am a big fan of Middle Eastern food! This place had really great chicken and also their dessert is fantastic. Also their hummus was so smooth and I would come here every day if I could! read more

The best shawarma in town. , it's the real deal. Don't be scared to order here. For a 5$ any choice meet shawarma and the portion size is most definitely worth its value. The hummus is good too read more

Food is good but ambiance is not so good. Staff doesn't understand English. Restaurant is located on noisy street read more

If you are in Houston this is the place to visit. This has been without a doubt the tastiest shawarma I have ever tasted, its flavor is authentic, the food is fresh, the place is very clean and the attention of the staff is very helpful, they make you feel at home. Definitely a place I will return to. read more

Probably the best shawarma in Houston. I have tried many shawarmas all over Houston, but I can just go there again and again just to have a shawarma. The shawarma here is quite heavily stuffed and have the same and very authentic taste since years. read more

Awesome job on the shawarma. So far this is the tastiest most flavorful I've had in Houston. I read some of the other comments but the price is reasonable and good portions. It had plenty of chicken and right amount of vegetables. The garlic sauce is on point and had to order a little extra because it was so delicious. If you are in the area and need a shawarma fix you definitely need to stop. The guy putting the food together is not the frienliest but I don't care as long as he makes my shawarma like it's supposed to be. read more

Ate here on the 4th of July, I was pretty sad once I started eating. Got the Chicken Shawarma with the 3 sides. My chicken seemed really dry, there was no sauce just the chicken. I had to ask for some kind of sauce to dip with because it wasn't working for me. It was like, they were expecting it to be slow for the 4th of July so they used food from the day before and heated it up instead of cooking fresh meat or slicing fresh meat off the rack. Thanks a lot. My sides were their fried rice, this empanada looking thing, and green beans. I think the best things on my plate were the rice and green beans, because if you mess something like those up, you might as well close down. I couldn't even bite into the little croissant/ empanada looking thing because it was hard. What looked like stuffing inside pretty much had hardened and it wasn't much stuffing (not sure if it's supposed to be this way or not), it seemed like the same amount of butter spread you would probably put on a piece of bread. Anyways, it was hard and therefore not edible. My bf kept looking at my face when I was eating, saying that I've never looked so unhappy eating a meal. This is true. I had a very sad face and he had to take me to the zoo like a little 4 year old to cheer me up because animals make me happy. If this is normal "good" food for Middle Eastern/Greek/Saudi Arabian food. I feel sorry for their people. :( read more

Delicious i will definitely recommend and come back I had the mix shawarma and taste really good!! read more

This used to be one of my very favorite shawarma spots in Houston. Unfortunately the quality of the food has plummeted since new owners/management have taken over. The staff is rude and the food is served cold. Sadly, I won't be returning. read more

Best Chicken Shawarma in Houston. Been going here since I moved from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This is what you need to order: Chicken (or Beef) Shawarma w/ extra garlic sauce and potatos inside. that's it unless you are there Sunday, I would definitely suggest the stuffed Chicken! read more

Ok, I may be the only Yelper here that didn't live in Saudi Arabia when I was little, but I can still vouch for how good their shawarma is (IF they cut it right from the slab! If they get it from the back, I can't vouch for that). I also like the little drink selection you can get from the refrigerator. The owners are very friendly, I was surprised! Beef is good. NOT DRY! Huge plus. Hummus is yummus and the tabbouleh is good as well.. You feel like family here, so I'd definitely recommend this place for the food as well as the service. They are truly very nice people. It's kind of hard to find at night. Perhaps it's just my fear of driving down Hillcroft. So many signs to look at while you're driving 40+ mph with people rushing every which way, trying to get home or get on the freeway. But once you find it, you won't forget where it is. read more

I lived in the middle east for 2 years (Qatar), and the chicken shwarma at Shwarma King is the closest I can find to the ones I used to get there. The hummus is also excellent. The setting isn't the best (next to the Laundromat), but I come there for the food, not the setting. The value is unbeatable too. Lunch for two people usually costs less than $12. The only thing I think they could improve upon is the quality of the bread. I don't think they make it themselves, as the freshness suffers some as a result. Still, Shwarma King is one of my favorite restaurants in Houston and a real find. read more

I wanted to foodgasm, I tried to foodgasm, but alas I couldn't fake it! The hummus was great and by far the only exceptional thing on the menu. I felt the chicken shawarma was a bit dried out. The beef shawarma was better but nothing compared to this random dive in Boston I went to. It was almost like a dream. I never knew what the place was called but it had the best shawarma I've ever had. Do you see what just happened?? I dreamt of another shawarma while I was trying to talk about this one! That's the best explanation of their food I can give you. The food isn't terrible but it leaves you reminiscing of bigger and better. No homo. read more

I agree with Patrick R. I lived in Saudi Arabia for 7 years, and Shawarma King is THE MOST authentic shawarma I've had since I moved back to the states in 1996. The only difference between these shawarmas and the ones I used to buy on the streets of Al Khobar and Rahima is that the shawarmas at Shawarma King do not have any cucumber. But... then again... I'm not really a big fan of cucumber so that's just a bonus! I don't know how they make their tzadziki sauce, but it's absolutely perfect and adds just the right amount of tartness to the shawarma. And the hummus!! It's pretty superb. There are very few things that irk me more than restaurants that claim to make their hummus fresh when it very obviously comes from a box (I'm looking at you, Oporto...) This hummus is perfectly blended and made fresh. It is very creamy with, again, the perfect amount of tartness to tingle your taste buds. Add to that the fact that it's about a six minute drive from my office and you can get in and out for less than ten bucks, and voila, PERFECT LUNCH SPOT. Oh man! How could I forget!? They serve Vimto in a can! Now, if you are not a fan of fruit drinks please beware, but I was basically raised on Vimto and it is the shiz niggitz. If you go in the evening there's a possibility you will run into the owner, and if you're really lucky, he'll give you free candies when you check out! I really cannot recommend this place to enough people. I'm sure half a star of my five star rating can be credited to the nostalgia of this place... but seriously, it's legit. Make sure you get the chicken shawarma sandwich, and not just the plate. The sandwich (wrap) is where it's at. read more

I'm sad to have discovered this place at the tail end of my stay in the Galleria area. The chicken shawarma is delicious!! The chicken is very juicy and not dry. The hummus is the absolute best! I love the olive oil they generiously pour on top. The prices are very fair, and the portions are large. I usually order the shawarma plate where you get to pick three sides. The service is always friendly; I love coming here. read more

This is one of the few places in Houston that I go to on a regular basis (Granted, its close to home), but I have been in love with thier Shawarma since my first bite. This Shawarma goes way beyond any Shawarma I've ever had. Basically, perfection. I also love thier Hummus, which is a feat since I am very picky about Hummus, so picky I just make it myself. The staff is great and very patient when your being slow to decide. read more

Shawarma King is great! The chicken shawarmas are so tasty, hot and fresh, and the garlic spread they use in the shawarma is great. Although these shawarmas are good, I have to say that these shawarmas are not the authentic shawarmas you would get on the side of the road in Al Khobar in KSA, but they are a good substitute. The shawarmas here are good, and even better with an ice cold Vimto. They have a lot of good drink selections here, like Vimto, as well as some Mexican cokes and fruit juices. The hummus and baba ghanoosh is really yummy here and they will give you extra pita bread if you ask for it. The owner and employees here are super friendly, I come here quite often and they are always so nice. If you still have room after your meal, try a piece of the pistachio baklava. REALLY sweet, but a nice way to end your meal. read more

Been coming here for years and even comparing their shawarma meat and sandwiches to other joints and I must say this is the most consistent place I've visited and had the pleasure of enjoying. I would totally give this place a five but it's just not there to be honest. Love the food and the consistency that they put out in their product, but the only knock would be the service and customer service side of things that would put this place over the top. read more

Mixed shawarma plate: chicken and beef. I've never had chicken so dry and beef so tough. I came right after opening for lunch, in order to get fresh cuts of meat. Highly disappointed with my choice of restaurant. The hummus was C minus at best. House salad had zero flavor. ..the potatoes were the best item that I tasted. read more

Great authentic service and food. The workers are so friendly and helped my boyfriend and I pick out drinks and suggested what to order. There are pictures of families and everyone makes you feel at home. It doesn't look very appealing from the outside, but the food is well-made, filling and reasonably priced. I got the a shawarma with beef and chicken so I could try both, but I was more a fan of the beef. Overall, great place, but not in the best location. read more

This is my go-to​ place for over a decade. This is Houstons' best Shawarma. Order it the exact way you want it and that's how you shall receive it. Get the hummus and hot sauce with​ a mix of chicken​ and beef. This Syrian styled Shawarma is ​comfort food of its​ own even if you can't point to Syria on a map. It it a Houston must have. If you haven't been you need to go bros. The sooner you taste this the sooner your life will be complete. read more

When I was a little boy, my family and I lived in Saudi Arabia. And, every so often, we would go to this little stand on a street for some chicken shawarmas. The proprietor of that little stand was not the cleanest of servers--he'd wipe his hand on his pants when dealing with the food or handle the food after handling some money. But, no matter how unsanitary he was, when he shaved that chicken off the spit and put together our shawarmas, they were the most delicious things (and we never got sick!). A recent visit to Shawarma King reminded me of my time in Saudi Arabia and how things today can hardly ever compare to childhood memories. I ordered a single chicken shawarma, which was a little less than $5 (caution: you need to spend at least $5 to use a credit card). I was slightly disappointed that my chicken was not shaved off of a slowly rotating spit. They must have had some chicken pre-shaved because none of the spits were on when I got there at about 7:30pm. I got my shawarma and immediately ripped the wrapping off and took a huge bite. It was good, but it's not as good as I hoped it would have been. As a previous reviewer stated, the sauce wasn't as tart or tangy as I like it to be. Plus, there was lettuce in it--the taste of lettuce threw off the taste of the shawarma a little for me. And the chicken was warm but not off-the-spit hot. All in all, I'm going to come back and taste the other foods. The falafel on display looked really good. And, maybe, if I come at a peak time, they'll have those spits on the back operating. read more

This is currently being added to the lunchtime rotation. It was delicious. I got the mixed shawarma plate (chicken and beef) and have to tell you that the chicken was by far better. I wish I had ordered just the chicken as the beef was a little dry. I also sampled some of my friend's kafta...YUM! Definitely getting that the next time I go. And there will definitely be a next time. Also, make sure to ask for extra garlic sauce. So delicious. I dipped everything in it, the potatoes, the shawarma, the lamb shank, the kafta, whatever. I do mean everything. Since the weather has been nicer lately, the patio is the perfect place to sit and eat (even though there isn't much of a view). The parking situation is a little rough and traffic is not great right in this particular area (especially around lunch time), but this little restaurant is definitely worth it. read more

Great food! I used to love this place. The only down side that i found was when I met the owner because my husband and I have an office close to them we come here often, we bring them business all the time since we also come with our clients, the day I met the owner I was with a client that liked the hummus and after everybody had finish eating there was some bread left my client requested if he could get a complementary quarter of a plate of hummus ( value the hall plate $3-$4) he just didn't wanted the entire plate. I saw the owner giving away complete plates to other tables and even after I identify my self with him as a frequent client he didn't do anything about it. He just made us all fell like we where not important to him as a client just because we where not his friends read more

Shawarma King - Middle Eastern Near Me - Houston, Texas

So disgusting. Why are they even open. Cold tasteless meat. I used to go here years ago and it used to be decent. Now it's like they could care less what they are serving. We love to support Muslim community but hate that most people don't take pride in their business read more

Your mother used to say, if you have nothing nice to say, dont say anything. Sorry your mother, but I will keep this brief. Walked into this nice little Lebanese joint on a chilly evening to grab some delicious middle eastern food to go. Scanning the menu, the prices looked great something like $4 or $5 for a chicken or beef Shwarma. I went with the beef. I asked the guy behind the counter what comes on the sandwhich and he said Hummus, Onion and Tomato. Perfect I said. We also ordered a Hummus to go. As we walked out of the restaurant I noticed there was no pita bread to eat the hummus with. If we wouldnt have caught this oversight, we would have been eating hummus with our fingers, which is not my normal preferred way to eat hummus. Fast forward I get home and unwrap the delicious humm, er, Tahini. INSTEAD OF HUMMUS THEY GAVE ME TAHINI. Did I mention I really do not like Tahini at all? Especially when it should be hummus. That must mean...yep...no hummus in my Shwarma...just Tahini. Now yes, I know tahini traditionally goes in shwarma, but I would have asked to not have any had I known it would be included in my sandwich. So end of story, it was a bummer. I probably will not be back. read more

Living in Saudi Arabia for most of my childhood, I've been looking for the authentic shawarma taste, and I think I don't have to look any more. This is by far the best Shawarma I've had in Texas, perhaps in the US. They put heaps of garlic sauce in it, which gives it that authentic flavor. The chicken is fresh and so is the pita bread. I live in Austin, so when I do make the trip to Houston, I always make a habit of eating here at least once during my trip. The only thing that I've ever gotten here is the chicken shawarma, which means that I'm not sure how everything else is. I would assume everything else here is delicious as well. I wish that they had fountain drinks though, but you can't go wrong with canned Vimto. Definately would recommend to anyone fiending for shawarmas. read more

I love this place! The service is friendly and quick in addition to the food being fresh and inexpensive. There is nothing here that doesn't satisfy, though I am fully aware that from the outside it looks a little suspect. Don't be intimidated by it's neighbors (such as "$3.99 haircut"), because this delicious gem is definitely worth stopping by. It is set up with counter style service, similar to other local Mediterranean joints (take Fadis for example). It's a great place to grab takeout. To be honest I have never actually dined inside of Shawarma king for a couple of reasons. 1 - No alcohol! 2 - I live super close and my couch is just way more comfortable than those plastic chairs and cafeteria style tables. Make sure to try the hummus, tabbouleh, pickled turnips, falafel, pistachio baklava....actually try everything, just to be safe. read more

I returned to this place after 7 years. The chicken shawarma still tastes great; and their garlic sauce is really good. This place is clean, the food looks fresh, and the prices are reasonable (eg Chicken Shawarma wrap is under $6). read more

Chicken shawarma was not very good! I was very surprised because this place has good review. The pita bread was cold and stale. The workers in restaurant were not friendly at all and did not seem as though they wanted outer business. We were no offered any drinks nor did we get checked on during our meal. Please save money and go to prince Lebanese that place is amazing ! read more

Shawarma King - Chicken shawarma with rice and space potatoes - Middle Eastern Near Me - Houston, Texas

Get me one of everything! Hands down the best place for some baked chicken. My favorite thing is the pickled turnips and the garlic butter. I can bathe in it. Sorry TMI! We love this place. Staff is great owners are super nice and are a staple to the community thank you read more

Their lamb shank was fairly dry, although the lamb kabob was tender. Very fair prices make this place a bargain, and they don't skimp on their cold beverage variety (mango, laban, apple and other nice options). I haven't tried their shawarma recently because on our last trip they seemed to have been sitting untouched for a while (and it was lunch time on a Saturday). Will I be back? Not in a looong time. read more

Very great Mediterranean food!!! Fresh and clean , I will recommended to all my friends

Been here after school and have never been disappointed, Oh but wait recently they have started making the shwarma's alot smaller than what they used to be. starting to be a little disappointment. But if your over at Layal and want to actually eat something this is always a great choice. read more

The hummus is delish here, so is the eggplant dish (i forget the name). The people are also friendly and courteous when helping you. My one concern here is that I've gotten the chicken kabobs twice and both times the inside of the chicken was not cooked all of the way. Which is a shame because the kabobs are delicious, but it kinda ruins it to bite into a piece and see a bloody/pink center. =0/ read more

Hummus: Hummus is different from restaurant to restaurant. Shawarma King's, in my opinion is great and is flavored more towards sesame / tahini than garlic. Nice and creamy. Mixed Grill: Chicken and beef kebab, kufta, salad/herb mix, hummus and rice. Chicken was as soft and tender as butter, excellent! Beef was done medium, also nice and tender. Kufta was seasoned nicely, although different than I am accustomed too in a middle eastern dish. Tasted great though. Turkish flag is hanging in the window, maybe this is Turkish influenced. Salad/herb mix was tossed lightly in oil. Fresh and delicious. The rice though...hmmm...reminded me of instant rice with some seasonings and raisins. It's not basamati rice and to me, the rice should be basamati. Rice gets a 1 star. It was an insult to a rather awesome plate of food. Served with a warm pita on the side. Pistachio Baklava: Great. read more

Nothing fancy about this place by any means and that is probably why I like it as much as I do. Driving down Hilcroft if you are not looking for it you will probably miss the place. But if you do come across it I suggest you swing in and give it a try. I always get the same thing, the chicken schwarma, but I have been meaning to try more of the menu. Let me tell you though, this schwarma is the best I have ever had. The chicken is cooked perfectly and the sauce is fantastic. read more